By Sherry Missler
Times Bulletin Staff Writer
smissler@timesbulletin.com
CONVOY — Crestview Superintendent Kathy Mollenkopf
devoted the majority of her report to the Board Monday to the issue of
school safety and Ohio House Bill 123 which was enacted in March of
2021. House Bill 123 is also known as the Safety and Violence Education
Students (SAVE Students) Act. Several requirements of this bill will
need to be in place this coming school year including creating threat
assessment plans and making available anonymous tip lines.
"We are working our best to get everything compliant and meet the deadlines," Mollenkopf told the Board.
Another
portion involves health education curriculum. Starting in the 2023-2024
school year, in every grade level from sixth through 12 and continuing
each year, districts must include at least one hour to the topics of
suicide awareness and prevention, safety training and violence
prevention, and social inclusion. Mollenkopf said the administrative team has already been in discussions about what will need to be done to implement this requirement.
Mollenkopf
also mentioned districts are required to file annual data reporting.
"We have completed that and will submit it by July 1," she said.
High
School Principal Dave Bowen spoke on the school safety videos from the
office of Ohio Attorney General. He added that plans were in the works
for an evacuation drill to Redeemer Lutheran Church which has not been
done for several years due to COVID.
Mollenkopf told the Board that Sheriff Tom Riggenbach is coming to July's meeting to speak on school safety. Cyber safety and cyber security are also being examined as well. Mollenkopf informed the Board that 134 students have already been accepted for open enrollment to Crestview.
In other action, the Board:
* Accepted donations from the Morgan L. Fortney & Mary L. Fortney Memorial Fund of the Van Wert County Foundation, the Convoy Community Foundation, Inc., and the Van Wert Service Club Inc.
* Accepted the resignations of Jason Lozer and Jaimie Terrell.
* Extended one-year contracts to Jessie Wallis, Ashley McClure, and Deb Ebert.
* Approved Jim Wharton as boys’ baseball head coach, Carl Etzler as girls’ softball head coach, and John Rosebrock as track head coach.
* Approved supplemental contracts to Terry Crowle, Randy Grandstaff, Gregg Mosier, Rachel Alvarez, Molly Baltzell, Jacob Keysor, Jada Preston, Danielle Ray, Danica Hicks, Alison Springer, and Sydney Bowen.
* Approved Tanner Crowle, Matt Perkins, Nikki Jones, Bob Perkins, Vicki Smith, and Taylor Free as volunteer coaches.
* Approved the compensation for Melissa Roop as a member of the LPDC committee.
*
Approved the Memorandum of Understanding with the Crestview Employees’
Association regarding severance payment for Sandra Grooms.
* Approve the waiver to opt out of Career-Technical Education.
* Approved purchased services of a School Resource Officer (SRO) from the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office.
* Approved the agreement with NOVA education services for FY23, as presented.
* Appointed Kathy Mollenkopf as Crestview’s administrative representative for the Van Wert Area Schools Insurance Group (VWASIG).
At the end of the meeting, the Board adjourned to executive session. There was no action taken upon the Board's return.
The
next regularly scheduled meeting of the Crestview Local Board of
Education is set for July 18 beginning at 6 p.m. in the multi-purpose
room.